The Pickers Union — Restaurant in Victoria

It’s been a while since I’ve been to The Picker’s Union, but sometimes I dream about their waffles. Not those weird dreams where the waffles are huge, have their own knives and forks, and are trying to eat me. No, the best kind of dreams where I’m eating lots of waffles, and Jamie Fraser from Outlander just happens to be there too. And he doesn’t ask for any of my waffles.

The Picker’s Union is a café in North Geelong with a light, bright and breezy feel to it. Its cruisy vibe makes it that perfect spot for brunch or a coffee after a quick (or accidental thirteen-hour) peruse of the Geelong Vintage Market next door. There’s an outdoor eating area, complete with swinging egg chairs. They also entertain the kiddies with free pancakes (only during school holidays) and colouring, earning them a special place in my heart.

I followed The Picker’s Union on Facebook in 2017 after catching a glimpse of their waffles on my news feed. After weeks of being subjected to their drool-inducing posts, I decided to check it out for myself. I ordered the Sticky Date waffles (pictured, no longer on the menu). They were like crunchy, cakey cushions—drenched in delicious butterscotch, scattered with perfectly charred marshmallows and a shattered pistachio praline. Oh. My. Yum.

The next lot of waffles I inhaled at The Pickers Union were Lemon Meringue (also pictured). These consisted of honey and vanilla waffles—again with the heavenly softness of a pillow-top mattress—topped with crumbly shortbread, diet-dissolving shards of meringue, little droplets of tangy lemon curd and a subtle lavender mascarpone quenelle. Special mention also goes to their Jam Doughnut Muffin. I’m not sure whether the correct term is a Moughnut or a Duffin, but either way, it’s a fluffy ball of jammy fun.

Oh, and I’m pretty sure they have main meals too.

So I’m thinking it might be time to relive the dream and head back to The Pickers Union for more waffles. If Jamie Fraser shows up, he’ll just have to get his own.`

-Sweet Eats Geelong is an independent food blogger, check out Facebook for...

This place has always been a favourite but today, the place is letting itself down. After sitting at a table clearly needing clearing, the server cleared the table behind me instead. When ordering food, I had to ask for the table to be cleared. Instead of "sure, give me two minutes" the reply I got was "I'm in the middle of something right now". Gen Z attitude personified, and not polite. The table got cleared, but not wiped – it's covered in honey from a toddler that was sat here previously. I had to ask for the table to be wiped. The server came back and sprayed the table with cleaning fluid in my direction, which landed on me and all over my phone. The table is still covered in honey. When my granola came out, all of the fruit was rock solid from the freezer. So I've had to send that back too. Really disappointing service today. Not sure I'll...

I'm leaving this review from when I visited with my partner and my mother in law back in May, but this is because the experience at Pickers Union was unforgettable.

The morning was chilly and we arrived to a warm, inviting Pickers Union. We were greeted with open arms by the establishments owner, a man whose style and grace lit up the room. He directed us to a table, near a window greeted by the morning sun.

We had coffee and made hay while the sun shined. Breakfast foods of all sorts graced our table, both savoury and sweet, crunchy and creamy, traditional and experimental. Flavours clashing and mixing in a perfect cacophony of mouth feel and taste.

After our meal concluded, we were surprised with a special dessert that the owner presented to us for our feedback. It was magnificent. Truly an unbelievable and enjoyable...